848.49/10–1353: Telegram
No. 46
The Secretary of
State to the Embassy in
Poland1
55. US Government has decided propose Christmas season gift package operation Poland in which CARE, as private sponsoring organization, would undertake mail gift parcels Polish recipients designated by individual US residents who have friends and relatives Poland.2 You should accordingly call soonest on Foreign Minister [Page 104] or highest ranking FonOff official immediately available to present proposal informally and leave aide-mémoire stating purpose and outlining essential features operation.
Unless you see objection to any specific suggestions below aide-mémoire (submit copy promptly to Department) should incorporate following points:
Begin. 1. US Government has been requested by CARE, a private nonprofit US organization with well-known reputable record in field international welfare activities, bring following matter attention Polish Government and request its favorable consideration;
2. In connection desire number of private Americans to remember their friends and relatives in Poland during Christmas season, CARE is prepared sponsor arrangements by which Christmas season gift packages may be sent Poland. Shipments would cover period December 15 through January 15 only.
3. Under envisaged arrangements CARE would undertake at request and at nominal charge any US resident to prepare suitable foods and mail gift package to any addressee Poland whom US resident may designate.
4. Packages would be standardized and uniformly designated as Christmas gift parcels. They would contain only food articles as follows: packaged milk, prunes, canned beef and gravy, rice, honey or preserves, sugar, vegetable shortening and raisins. All parcels would have approximately same contents with estimated weight 14 pounds and retail value less than $10.00. Parcels would contain no written or printed messages. (FYI Food item units would bear processor’s label and MSA “clasped hand symbol”.)
5. It is anticipated that execution of these arrangements would bring about temporary increase in number of gift parcels entering Poland from US and there would be a larger volume of gift parcels than usual for customs officers to handle during limited period of proposed shipments.
6. Cooperation of Polish Government in matter is invited to end spirit exemplified Christmas season and good will felt by people US toward people Poland may be given practical expression. To this end Polish Government is requested temporarily suspend or waive application any customs regulations which, though normally applicable importation gift parcels Poland, might make it difficult for these special gift packages to reach intended recipients during holiday season. Specifically, Polish Government is requested to waive for limited period of proposed shipments its usual customs handling [Page 105] changes on gift parcels and any excise fees applicable to contents of gift packages.
7. In view limited time remaining before proposed date for starting shipments Embassy would appreciate urgent response from Polish Government. The sponsoring organization CARE, as well as both people and Government US, would welcome cooperation Polish Government in facilitating the carrying out of proposed arrangements. End.
For your information only the program schedule requires that favorable or unfavorable reply be elicited Polish Government within ten days of approach. You should therefore endeavor obtain definite reply FonOff within that period, failing which Polish attitude must be assumed negative.
If questions raised by FonOff which are not covered foregoing outline and you cannot answer appropriately, report Department urgently and instructions re reply will be telegraphed immediately.
Corresponding approaches for similar operations Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania being made simultaneously Prague, Budapest, Bucharest.3
- Drafted by McKisson and Vedeler and cleared by EE, P, and FOA.↩
- According to the final report on this so-called “Christmas East” project, Apr. 26, 1954, the decision to initiate a food program for Eastern Europe was taken by the PSB on Sept. 2 on the basis of new intelligence reports arriving as a result of the instructions issued to the Department of State and CIA when the proposal had earlier been rejected (see Document 40). Although the minutes of the PSB meeting of Sept. 2 do not substantiate the claim, the final report also stated that a working group was instructed at that time to study the possibility of using balloons to deliver the food. (OCB files, lot 62 D 430, “Christmas East”) According to the OCB minutes of Sept. 23, a Department of State proposal to offer the food first through CARE was accepted, but the purchase of balloons was nevertheless authorized in order to implement the original plan if the Eastern European governments rejected the CARE offer. (OCB files, lot 62 D 430, “Minutes I”) The Department of State informed the U.S. Missions in Eastern Europe of this proposal in telegrams 56 to Warsaw, 83 to Prague, 44 to Bucharest, and 68 to Budapest, Oct. 13. (848.49/10–1353) For the replies from Prague and Bucharest, see infra and Document 48.↩
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Nearly identical instructions were sent to Prague in telegram 82, to Budapest in telegram 67, and to Bucharest in telegram 43. (849.49/10–1353, 864.49/9–1953, and 866.49/9–2453, respectively) As instructed, Flack delivered the aide-mémoire to the Polish Government on Oct. 15 and transmitted a copy of it in despatch 126 from Warsaw, Oct. 15. (848.49/10–1553) In reply, the Polish Government rejected the offer in an aide-mémoire of Oct. 28, the text of which was transmitted from Warsaw in despatch 158, Oct. 29. (848.49/10–2953)
Wadsworth delivered the aide-mémoire to the Czechoslovak Government on Oct. 16 and transmitted a copy of it in despatch 83 from Prague, Oct. 19. (849.49/10–1953) The Czechoslovak Government indicated at the time of delivery that the offer would be rejected.
Ravndal delivered the aide-mémoire to the Hungarian Government on Oct. 15 and transmitted a copy of it in despatch 203 from Budapest, Oct. 16. (864.49/10–1653) In reply, the Hungarian Government rejected the offer in an aide-mémoire of Nov. 4, the text of which was transmitted from Budapest in despatch 237, Nov. 5. (864.49/11–553)
Shantz delivered the aide-mémoire to the Rumanian Government on Oct. 16 and transmitted a copy of it in despatch 72 from Bucharest, Oct. 27. (866.49/10–2753) No Rumanian reply was received.
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